Bill Turnbull's replacement Dan Walker fronts BBC Breakfast for first time

Dan Walker, who has begun hosting his first BBC Breakfast show after replacing veteran presenter Bill Turnbull. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Wearing a lilac shirt and purple tie, the new addition introduced a report on rising vacancies in the NHS.

He and Louise Minchin also spoke to entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba who is in Los Angeles reporting on the Oscars.

Minchin and weather presenter Carol Kirkwood were wearing similar dresses and after the headlines the pair teased their new colleague for having “missed the email” about the matching outfits.

The new presenter joked he thought he “could get away” with one of the dresses and said: “You’re not including me in your gang, you lot!”

Walker who previously hosted Afternoon Edition on BBC Radio 5 Live and Football Focus on BBC One, will front the show from 6am on Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesdays.

The 38 year old’s career in journalism began on Sheffield’s Hallam FM Radio, before he moved to Manchester’s KEY103 radio station.

He then worked for Granada TV and BBC North West Tonight, before moving to BBC Sport.

The devout Christian - who does not work on Sundays - has said that his faith will not “affect the way I do my job”.

Talking on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show after his appointment was announced, he said: “I want to live in a world where Gary Lineker can present Match Of The Day even though he’s a Leicester City fan and John Humphrys can do Radio 4 even though he’s an atheist ... that’s the world I want to live in. Not where I’m persecuted for being a Christian.”